Despite the rash of deadly train crash , the rail industry 's allies in Congress tried to push back installation technology , at least in 2020 , in order to prevent the most catastrophic collision until the deadline , half a century later , the first requirement that the accident investigation security measures.
According to a law enacted in 2008 , the system is called positive train control or PTC should come from 31 December 2015 up and running. Few railway is expected to meet this deadline. But the rest of the industry said that despite the billions of dollars spent on the system , they are faced with the logistical and technical barriers , and need more time. And industry relationships of the four senators recently proposed a bill to extend the term of five to seven years.
How to delay a strong industry can stall , even if they are enacted into laws and regulations, does not like . National Transportation Safety Board has investigated 27 train crash 63 lives in the past decade, officials say , could have been avoided safety system has been injured nearly 1,200 , and caused millions of dollars in losses. NTSB first recommended advanced train control system in 1970.
"This is not a problem, that the task of trying to get rid of the industry , " said埃德汉伯格, Association of American Railroads President and CEO . " We have invested too much, it is in our best interest to get it as soon as possible ."
However , advocating safety, labor and passengers are skeptical , most rail systems will never be realized , there is no more pressure on the government .
"When they are pushing five-year extension does not change, you have to wonder if they do not want some of the deregulation of the White House will be together before that, just lift the burden , " said Ross Capon , president and CEO of the National railway passengers association .
"It is one thing to say that we can not get it completed by the end of 2015 , which is to say , we want a blanket , more than five years of industry wide pass is another matter, " he said. "This is a hint disingenuous ."
National Transportation Safety Board member Robert Sumwalt said: "For every day that it is delayed , another unexpected threat still exists ."
Rail has invested heavily to make their case to Congress . Last year , the industry spent nearly $ 47 million lobbying the federal government , according to the political funds tracking website OpenSecrets.org. The industry's 329 registered lobbyists , including former Sen. Trent Lott , R- Miss , John Breaux , D- La , and former Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour , as well as dozens of former House and Senate aides .
Security Act to extend the period of the main sponsor, Senator John Thun , RS.D., has received $ 672,836 of political contributions and related personal railway industry since 1998 . One of his outstanding contributors , is DM & E railroad , in Sioux City , South Dakota, South Dakota Republican Party are closely linked. In 2008 it acquired the Canadian Pacific Railway .
" I think it is important for us as a parliament to be careful not to impose excessive regulation railway industry ," especially if the regulations SAP infrastructure improvements needed money , Thun told a Senate hearing on railway safety in June .
Sen. Roy Blunt , R-MO, the bill's three original co-sponsor , has received a $ 201,969 contribution in the railway industry . Berkshire Hathaway , BNSF 's parent company , the nation 's second-largest rail freight , donated an additional $ 45,117 . Blunt 's chief staff , Glen Chambers , is to highlight the rail industry lobbying Lei Ting 's son. Ray Chambers said he and his son do not discuss legislation.
Sen. Claire McCaskill, D- Mo , another Joint Sponsors have received $ 455,995 in contributions to the railway industry , including $ 41,768 from the Kansas City Southern , with headquarters in Kansas City , Missouri 's third co-sponsors , Sen. Mark Pryor , D-ARK, has received $ 412,500 donation .
Security system using GPS, radio and computer monitoring train position and speed , and prevent them from collision derailed because of excessive speed , into orbit , is being done to repair or wrong way, because the switching errors. It's all aimed at preventing human error , which is responsible for the train accident , there are about 40% .
Such a system would " change the rules of the game " security , the Federal Railroad Administration , the responsible person of Joseph Szabo told a Senate hearing.
A vivid example of types of accidents PTC is designed to prevent the occurrence of Spain in July when the train traveling at twice the speed limit going around curves derailed , killing 79 people and wounding dozens more .
NTSB made ??a newer version of the technology list, created in 1990, the "most wanted " list of safety improvements . For decades, the government has funded demonstration projects.
After several failed attempts, Congress was prompted positive train control of the country's one of the most serious train accident . September 12, 2008 , attacks on the Metrolink commuter train near Los Angeles, a freight train , killing 25 and injuring more than 100 . Investigators say distracted Metrolink train engineer SMS, let the train run through a red signal - it is the system designed to prevent the type of accident . Law gives railway seven years and three months of installation technology .
This requirement applies to Amtrak and commuter rail 25 , with 5.64 million passengers carried each year , sharing tracks with freight trains . It also applies for the transport of hazardous substances in a class of breathing only freight trains and tracks , to 2005 two Norfolk Southern train collision in Graniteville , SC punctured chlorine tank car derailed , releasing a toxic cloud. Nine people were killed and hundreds injured . Was severely damaged and closed textile factories employed most of the residents of the town .
But the pressure from the industry weakened the scope of the law . Preliminary estimates, positive train control , will cover about 70,000 miles of rail - less than half the national total . Now , that number has shrunk to 50,000 miles . Regulatory agencies have been given permission to install cheaper PTC rail system does not prevent certain rear-end and low-speed collisions.
Exclude the use of rail freight running only a few times a year poisonous breath freight track. Cothen, a former railway management officials Grady said they also want to change the line containing such goods trains and passenger trains share tracks , further reducing the freight-only track with PTC .
2008 law a weakness is that it does not include other types of dangerous goods , including crude oil and ethanol , Cothen said. Last month, an unmanned train transporting crude oil 72 loose, speeding the lakeside Lac-Megantic Quebec town located near the border of Maine derailed and ignited before 7 miles tilt. Fiery explosion caused 47 people dead and destroyed much of the town .
PTC does not prevent accidents, but the disaster highlights the risk shipments . U.S. crude oil railway wagon moving 178,000 in the first half - twice the number of the same period last year , during the 2009 's 33 times more.
Link and BNSF on track to meet the deadline. Amtrak is also expected to meet the deadline , but only in Boston and the Northeast Corridor between Washington and Michigan .
Cothen said that although most of the railway officials stressed the cost of train control system , a significant side benefit cost-benefit calculation does not figured out is that it can improve the efficiency of railway operations , saving the company a lot of money .
PTC requires significant a challenge because they choose must be compatible with the software - installed on the same orbit coordination between railway companies . Rail freight is also still working technical specifications and increase delays. Some suburban railway are struggling to find purchase the required radio spectrum , as well as positive train control and other urgent money to pay for repairs .
Saab , the Federal Railroad Administration official said he wants Congress to grant administrative privileges given by-case extensions. He said the key is to find an appropriate balance is maintained between the foot fire " and to ensure " safe and reliable . "
 



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